TWO friends, who walked 500 miles to kick-start a £1.5m appeal for a new community hall and memorial garden have raised about £13,000.

Father Paul Martin and parishioner Ewan Gordon, 36, walked from the Hebridean island of Iona back to Bicester in just a month.

The pair were given a huge reception in Garth Park, off Launton Road, when they returned last week.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception wants to build a hall and memorial garden at the Catholic church in the Causeway. So far it has raised £500,000 from the sale of assets but the biggest challenge is to raise the rest of the £2m needed for the project.

Fr Martin, 50, said: “It was wonderful from start to finish. I don’t think there was ever a moment we thought we wouldn’t finish it.”